Creekview’s lacrosse program still has yet to play its first game as a true varsity team, but that hasn’t stopped one of its players from earning a college scholarship. Jenna Wohlford, through her work in a showcase event, was offered a scholarship by Lindenwood University in Belleville, Ill.
Staff photo by Nathan Self

For Creekview senior Jenna Wohlford, the decision to pursue a collegiate career in lacrosse proved to be a beneficial one, as she was recently awarded an athletic scholarship to play for Lindenwood University in Belleville, Ill.

A scholarship without even having played an official game for the Lady Grizzlies.

While taking part in a college showcase in Flagler Beach, Fla., in June with the Hotlanta Lacrosse League, Wohlford was noticed by Lindenwood coach Austin Doster.

After noting Wohlford as a player he would like to contact about playing for the NAIA college near St. Louis, Doster was approached by Wohlford’s mother, Marquelle. Marquelle Wohlford, without knowing that Doster was interested in recruiting her daughter, was interested in the school.

“He had already written my name down as someone he was interested in contacting, so it was a complete coincidence that my mom approached him,” Jenna Wohlford said. “He then told my mom everything that she wanted to know and that he wanted me to come play for them.”

Within a week of watching Wohlford play, Doster contacted her about a potential athletic scholarship, which she accepted.

“It was awesome,” Wohlford said of Doster’s offer. “After that, we went and visited the campus and that’s what threw me overboard. I liked it. It was something different.”

What may make Wohlford’s scholarship offer even more impressive is the fact that last year was the first time since the eighth grade that she had played lacrosse.

“My freshman and sophomore year, Creekview didn’t have a club team. And, at that point, I was too old to participate in Cherokee Youth Lacrosse,” said Wohlford, who began playing lacrosse in the seventh grade. “We had a club team for the first time ever last year, so I’ve only been playing for about a year-and-a-half since I started again.”

Before she took up lacrosse again, Wohlford wasn’t even sure she would be playing a sport in college at all.

“I really didn’t start looking at schools to play lacrosse at until last year,” she said. “I thought that I would just do intramurals. But then the summer league started, and that’s when I decided to start looking for a college.”

Looking back, Wohlford believes she made the right decision.

“I’m really happy that I went for it,” she said. “I always wanted to play a sport in college. I just didn’t know what it would be.”

Now, with Creekview’s first official lacrosse season approaching, Wohlford said that she is excited to get on the field.

“I’m anxious to see how it will go,” Wohlford said of Creekview’s upcoming season. “We have a bunch of new girls on the team. I’m just excited to play for my school.”

Despite Wohlford’s lack of lacrosse play on a consistent basis, Creekview coach Jennifer Byers wasn’t surprised by her scholarship offer.

“She has a great game sense,” said Byers, who coached Creekview’s club team last year. “She understands how the game is supposed to be played. She has a maturity that a lot of the other girls on the team don’t have yet. They follow her lead.

Wohlford is not only the first Creekview lacrosse player to receive an athletic scholarship this year, but one of the first athletes from the school.

“It’s cool, because I’m the first person I know of graduating from my school (in 2013) that’s been signed or committed to a college for a sport,” Wohlford said. “It has taken a lot of stress off me to know where I am going after high school. It is good to know that everything is taken care of.”

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